Pure genius from Lewis Oliva OM 03 – 10

TRAINEE doctor Lewis Oliva stormed to cycling silver at the Commonwealth Games on Australia’s Gold Coast – and then thanked his local student pub for keeping him supplied with Guinness.

Lewis Oliva OM 03 – 10 produced a storming last lap in the keirin final to hurl himself from the back of the pack into the medals.

Behind him were the likes of 2017 world keirin champion Mohd Azizulhasni from Malaysia, Kiwi Olympic medallist Sam Webster and Scottish world medallist Jack Carlin.

And the breathless Devauden rider said immediately afterwards: “I literally can’t believe it. Everything in the last two years has been building up to this and to beat these guys in the final is brilliant. I’m so stoked.”

All his rivals are full-time riders, but Oliva – who carried the Commonwealth baton at the Queen’s Baton Relay on Monmouth School for Boys’ playing fields last autumn – trains part-time with the Welsh cycling team while pursuing his studies at Cardiff University, having quit the GB squad last year.

And Oliva did it the hard way on the track too, having to qualify through the repechage second-chance race after missing out in the heats, before splitting world sprint champion Matt Glaetzer from Australia in gold and New Zealand’s Ed Dawkins in bronze.

“If you are going to come all the way to Australia you need to get your money’s worth and get an extra round in,” he joked. “And I would like to thank the Conway pub back in Pontcanna for supplying me with Guinness. Without you boys, I wouldn’t have done it, so cheers.”

Monmouth School for Boys headmaster Dr Andrew Daniel said: “Lewis balances his cycling with his medical studies at Cardiff University and everyone at Haberdashers’ Monmouth Schools is very proud of him. Lewis is an inspiration to the boys and a fantastic ambassador for the school.”